How to eat without spending a penny?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
How to eat without spending a penny?
12
Sat, 03-25-2006 - 5:49pm

Hey all,

I just balanced our checkbook and realized that, once again, there is too much month for my grocery budget. I need to make it to Thursday for payday. Can ya'll help me plan some yummy meals?

I have canned tomatoes, tons of spaghetti pasta as well as several jars of pasta sauce (but we'd go crazy having spaghetti every night), some rabbit meat in the freezer (cooks like chicken, so chicken recipes will work for that), carrots, apples, flour and bulghur wheat (but no rice or grits), various dried beans, some frozen bacon and frozen sausage, frozen pepperoni, cheese (mostly mozzarella), butter, oats, sugar, one can of chick peas, and probably other stuff I'm not thinking of. Very little bread, but plenty of flour (could make some flat bread? Something without yeast, maybe?).

I need a diverse menu to last the next few days, so we won't feel so deprived we throw up our hands and go get take-out even though we have no money. I would LOVE ya'll's recipes based on these basic ingredients. If the recipes include a few other things, include them anyway--maybe I have what I need, maybe I can substitute. I also have a full stock of herbs and spices.

Thank you all SO much in advance. This will help us get through the rest of the month without adding to our debt or stealing from our savings.

Blessings,

Heather

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Sun, 03-26-2006 - 11:05pm
Hi, Heather. I havent tried rabbit recently, but based on your ingredients, can you make some kind of a stew? Or, maybe something like Chicken Cacchetori (spelling!)(rabbit cacchetori), where you take the canned tomatoes and add some sausage, a green bell pepper, small onion, some stock, and simmer, put in the oven and bake, add some cheese? Sometimes, if we have carrots or apples, you can dip them in a yogurt-type dip,. or add some cinnamon with the apples and bake them in a small dish. Yum! I had some chik-pea soup with some carrots--one of the girls at work made an excellent soup with chik peas and carrots and it was soo good. If I get her recipe, I will pass it along. Whiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 03-29-2006 - 7:43pm

We did it!! Thank you all SOOOOO much for the terrific ideas. We spent the $8 on hot dogs that I already fessed up to, but other than that, we made it through the week. Tomorrow is pay day!

So, here's what we had:

Lots of grilled cheese sandwiches with the bread I bought with that $8.
Spaghetti casserole/pizza (served to guests who loved it)
Baked rabbit with rice and veggies (had some frozen veggies)
Apple muffins
Breakfast dinner--homemade biscuits, sausage, bacon, cheese, and condiments
I'm sure there were other things... don't remember what now...

We made it through! And I actually have an idea for one more meal--lentil patties! We love lentil patties, and the only necessary ingredients are egg (I use soy flour instead which is always on hand), bread crumbs (tons in the freezer), lentils, and broth (which I always have because I save it when I cook a rabbit or chicken). They're great with veggies and hummus, which I still have ingredients for. Maybe lunch tomorrow.

Amazing how much you can do with so little when you're really determined. Even under challenging circumstances like a funky appetite which ties into the news that someone already guessed and which I will shortly be announcing in a separate thread.

Thanks for all the help!

Heather

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